Bishop Edward O’Rourke (1876-1943)

Last updated on: June 27, 2009 at 7:52 am by Pat McNamara

Bishop Edward O’Rourke (1876-1943) 2009-06-27T07:52:00-06:00 Pat McNamara

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

This day in 1943 marks the death of Edward O’Rourke, the first Bishop of Danzig in Poland. The following is taken from Wikipedia:

O’Rourke was born October 26, 1876 in Basin, Minsk, Russian Empire (modern Belarus), to an aristocratic family of Irish ancestry, many of them high officers in the Russian military. They held imperial titles of the Russian Empire and of the German Holy Roman Empire, but also had petitioned to retain the Irish count title as well, which was granted by the Tsar in 1848. His father was Michael Graf O’Rourke and his mother Baltic-German Angelika von Bochwitz. He received a widespread European education and learned a number of languages.
After graduating from the famous Jesuit college in Chyrów (then Russia, now Ukraine), in 1898 he went to Riga, Latvia, where in 1903 he graduated from the Trade and Mechanics Faculty of the University of Riga. In 1903 he moved to Freiburg, Switzerland, where he continued his studies at the University of Fribourg, faculty of law, but the following year he moved to the theological faculty at the University of Innsbruck in Austria-Hungary.

On October 27, 1908 he was ordained a priest in Vilna (Vilnius, Lithuania) and became a professor of ecclesiastical history, German and French language at the Seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev in Saint Petersburg. Between 1912 and 1915 he became the priest of the multilingual congregation of St. Stanislaus in Petersburg[1]. After the February Revolution in Russia it was decided to re-establish the diocese of Minsk and O’Rourke was appointed as its administrator and the interim head of the Catholic Church in Russia. As such O’Rourke met for the first time the Apostolic Visitor for the Baltic countries, Achille Ratti, the later Pope Pius XI. Due to the proposed independence of Latvia the diocese of Riga was established in 1918 and O’Rourke was appointed the bishop of Riga on recommandation of Ratti on 29 September 1918.

O’Rourke’s position in Riga was problematic as he managed to assume his office only after German forces had occupied Riga in early 1919. At that time shortly after World War I the ecclesiastical organisation was largely destroyed and only a few priests were active. O’Rourke, who himself didn’t speak Latvian, tried to encourage Latvian priests but tendered his resignation after a new government in Latvia was appointed and calls for a Latvian bishop raised. O’Rourke was released as the bishop of Riga on 10 April 1920 and appointed the titular bishop of Canea and Apostolic Delegate for the Baltic states, in November 1921 also the Pontifical Delegate for Russian refugees in Danzig and East Prussia, later (1928) for the Russians in Germany.

The Free City of Danzig was split from Germany in 1920. On April 24, 1922 Achille Ratti, now Pope Pius XI, nominated O’Rourke to the post of an Apostolic Administrator of the Free City of Danzig and the titular bishop of Pergamon on 21 December 1922. After the creation of the Diocese of Danzig on December 30, 1925, O’Rourke became the first Bishop of Danzig. First having a good relationship with the authorities, who granted him citizenship on 12 June 1926, and the mostly Protestant population, he conflicted with the new local Nazis after 1933. Having hosted synode on 10 to 12 December 1935, growing pressure from the Nazi majority senate made him resign as bishop of Danzig after he had tried to implement four additional Polish parish priests[3]. On 13 June 1938 he was appointed Titular bishop of Sophene. He adopted Polish citizenship in December 1938 as well as the office of Cathedral Canon in Gniezno/Poznań. When the Germans attacked Poland in September 1939 O’Rourke was on a journey to Estonia and travelled via Warsaw and Königsberg to Berlin, where he applied for a Visa to Italy. After his arrival in Rome O’Rourke tried to return to his Diocese in Poznań, but his visa application was rejected by the Germans. O’Rourke died in Rome on June 27, 1943, his successor after his death was the Bishop of Danzig Carl Maria Splett. In 1972 his ashes were moved from Campo Verano to his former bishopric to be buried in a crypt in the Oliwa Cathedral.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

June 26, 2009

Movie of the Week

Next Post

June 27, 2009 Quote of the Day

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category African-American Catholics Alabama Catholics American Catholic History American Catholic women American History Anniversaries Anti-Catholicism Arkansas Catholics Benedictines Bishops Blessed John Henry Newman Book Reviews Books Boston College Brooklyn churches Brothers California Catholics Capuchins Cardinals Carlo Carretto Carmelites Catholic authors Catholic Cemeteries Catholic Historians Catholic History in Less Than 5 Minutes Catholic musicians Catholic Poetry Catholic Press Catholic School Textbook Catholic University of America Catholic Worker Catholics and Music Catholics and Race Catholics in Politics Catholics in the American Revolution Catholics in the Military Catholics in the Movies Catholics in the South Catholics in the West Catholics on Stage Catjolic Women Catolic Poetry Charles de Foucauld Children's Masses Christian Brothers Christmas Church Reform Civil Rights Movement Civil War Colleges and universities Converts D.C. Catholics Deaf Catholics Dominicans. Dorothy Day English Catholics Florida Catholics Fordham University Franciscans French Catholics Georgetown University German Americans Good Shepherd Sisters Hispanic Catholics Historians and Archivists Holy Cross Fathers Holy Name Society Idaho Catholics Illinois Catholics Indian Wars Indiana Catholics Irish Americans Irish Catholicism Italian Americans Italian Catholics Jesuits Josephite Sisters Kentucky Catholics Know-Nothings Laetare Medal Recipients laity Liturgical Movement Maine Catholics Manhattan College Maryland Catholicism Michigan Catholics Middle Ages Minnesota Catholics Missionaries Mississippi Catholics Missouri Catholics Monasteries Montana Catholics Native Americans New England Catholicism New Jersey Catholics New York Catholics North American College Ohio Catholics Oratorians Oregon Catholics Parish Mission Parishes Passionists Pat McNamara's Books Paulists Pennsylvania Catholics Popes Presidents Priests Quotations Religious Orders Rhode Island Catholics Saints Salesians Seminarians Seminaries Sermons Servants of God Siisters of Charity Sisters of Mercy South Carolina Catholics Spanish-American War Sports St. Francis of Assiai St. John Henry Newman Suplicians Tennessee Catholics Texas Catholics The year in review Thomas Merton Throwback Thursday Photograph Trappists Uncategorized University of Notre Dame Video Presentations Vincentians Virginia Catholics Visitation Nuns Washington West Point West Virginia Catholics West Viriginia Catholics Wisconsin Catholicism Women Religious World War II

Select a Month December 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 April 2012 March 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

To where did Jesus' family flee from Bethlehem?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Greece Egypt Nazareth Samaria